Philip v. Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC
Philip v. Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC
Opinion of the Court
ORDER AND REASONS
ISSUES PRESENTED
1. Whether there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding Plaintiffs status as a Jones Act seaman
2. Whether there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding Plaintiffs status as a borrowed employee of Defendant Hornbeck Offshore Services, L.L.C.
3. Whether there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding Plaintiff’s vessel negligence and general maritime negligence claims ..
4.Whether Plaintiff is- entitled to • a !jury trial
BACKGROUND
This is a maritime- personal injury case. Plaintiff Elderic Philip, a rigger working for Defendant Longnecker Properties, Inc. (“Longnecker”), was working aboard the motor vessel Silverstar on June 30, 2013, when he allegedly tripped on a wooden board on the vessel’s deck and fell.
Philip ’filed this suit on August 8, 2013, asserting claims under the Jones Act
On September 22, 2014, Longnecker filed' a motion for summary judgment.
On October 7, 2014, Hornbeck filed a motion for partial summary judgment' that Philip is not a seaman as to Hornbeck and
On November-3, 2014, Hornbeck filed a motion to strike Philip’s jury demand.
On August 14, 2015, the Court ordered the parties to submit supplemental briefing with regard to Philip’s seaman status.
ANALYSIS
I. Seaman Status
The Jones Act provides that “[a] seaman injured in the course of employment ... may elect to bring a civil action at law, with the right of trial by jury, against the employer,”
A. Standard, of Law
When considering a motion for summary judgment, the Court must view the evidence and any inferences drawn from the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-movant to determine whether there is a genuine issue of material fact and whether the movant is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law.
“The Jones Act is remedial legislation and as such should be liberally construed in favor of injured seamen.”
B. Discussion
Despite some guidance from Congress and the courts, drawing a distinction between seamen and non-seamen has proved difficult for eourts. As the Supreme Court has explained, “We- have made a labyrinth and got lost in it. We must find our way out.”
In Chandris, Inc. v. Latsis, the Supreme Court explained that, to qualify as a Jones Act seaman, a maritime employee must have a “substantial, employment-related connection to a vessel in navigation,”
The parties do not dispute that Philip meets the first prong of the Chandris test.
1. Duration
With regard to the second prong, Chan-dris recognized the Fifth Circuit’s threshold for a substantial durational connection
Defendants rely on Roberts to argue Philip fails to satisfy the durational component of the second prong of the Chandris test.
.- The Fifth Circuit explained in several decisions prior to Roberts that, while a fleet of vessels must be under common ownership or control, it need not be under the common ownership or control of an injured plaintiffs employer for an injured plaintiff to qualify as a seaman. In Bertrand v. International Mooring & Marine, Inc., the Fifth Circuit recognized the following:
We have never held that a seaman is barred from coverage under the Jones Act if the employer neither owns nor controls the several vessels upon which the seaman works____To require com*943 mon ownership or control when seamen work on several vessels but not when they work on a single vessel is inconsistent with the liberal construction of the Jones Act that has characterized it from the beginning and is inconsistent with its purposes.48
Further, in Coats v. Penrod Drilling Corp., the Fifth Circuit explained, “[W]e have decided that the employer need not be the owner or operator of the group of vessels.”
In Roberts, the Fifth Circuit referred to the “well-established rule ... that a worker who fails to show that at least 30 percent of his time is spent on vessels under the common ownership or control of his employer is precluded from recovering as a seaman under the Jones Act.”
[W]hen a group of vessels is at issue, a worker who aspires to seaman status must show that at least 30 percent of his time was spent on vessels, every one of which was under his defendant-employer’s common ownership or control. As recently as Hufnagel, we reaffirmed our commitment to this application of the 30 percent test, and we do so yet again today.51
The Roberts decision cited Hufnagel v. Omega Service Industries, Inc.
The Fifth Circuit panel in Roberts did not explicitly overrule the Circuit’s prior decisions Bertrand, and Coats. Indeed, it could not have, given the Circuit’s well-established rule of orderliness, which prevents one panel of the court from overturning another panel’s decision, even if the panel’s interpretation of the law appears flawed, “absent ■ an intervening change in the law, such as by a statutory amendment, or the Supreme Court, or our en banc court.”
In line with other courts in-this District that have addressed the issue, the Court finds that Roberts did not overrule Fifth Circuit decisions establishing that the employer need , not be the owner or operator of the group of vessels-for the plaintiff to qualify as a seaman. Instead, Roberts is limited to its facts, which are distinguishable from the facts in this case.
The Fifth Circuit has held that, in the context of a single vessel, the employer need not be the owner or operator of the vessel on which the plaintiff spent at least 30 percent of his time for the plaintiff to be a Jones Act seaman.
2. Nature
> To qualify as a Jones Act seaman, Philip also must have a connection to a vessel or group of vessels that is substantial in nature.
We ‘have stated that there is no bright-line test to be applied in determining the frequency and regularity of performance which must be shown to claim [seaman] status, but incidental and temporary duty will not suffice. It is clear, however, that our analysis must focus on the nature and location of the claimant’s employment taken as a whole.73
Defendants rely on the “randomness”- arid unpredictability of Philip’s vessel assignments to establish that any connection Philip had to Hornbeck vessels was sporadic and, as a result, not substantial in nature.
The fundamental purpose of this substantial connection requirement is to give full effect to the remedial scheme created by Congress and to separate the*946 sea-based maritime employees who are entitled to Jones Act protection from those land-based workers who have only a transitory or sporadic connection to a vessel in navigation, and therefore whose employment does not regularly expose them to the perils of the sea.76
The Court also explained that courts must weigh “the total circumstances of an individual’s employment ... to determine whether , he had a sufficient relation to the navigation of vessels and the perils attendant thereon.”
The principal formulations employed by the Courts of Appeals—“more or less permanent assignment” or “connection to a vessel that is substantial in terms of its duration and nature”—are simply different ways of getting at the same basic point: The Jones Act remedy is reserved for sea-based maritime employees whose work regularly exposes them to the special hazards and disadvantages to. which they who. go down to sea in ships are subjected.78
The Court must consider the totality of the circumstances of a plaintiffs employment to determine whether his connection to a vessel or fleet of vessels was sufficiently substantial in nature.79 The jury “should be permitted, when determining whether a maritime employee has the requisite employment-related connection to a vessel in navigation to qualify as a member of the vessel’s'crew,' to consider all relevant circumstances bearing on [the two Chandris prongs].”80
It is undisputed that Philip was working as a rigger for Longnecker.
In addition, there are disputed issues of material fact with respect to the nature of Philip’s connection to the fleet of vessels owned by Hornbeck. For example, the parties dispute whether Philip was assigned vessel crew duties, such as cleaning, chipping paint, and tying vessel lines. Although Philip’s duties were primarily rigging on the Silverstar cargo deck,
. As noted above, the. determination of seaman status is a mixed question of law and fact,
C. Conclusion
Summary judgment on seaman status is rarely proper.
II. Borrowed Employee
Hornbeck argues that Philip is not Hornbeck’s borrowed employee and therefore cannot bring claims against Hornbeck under the Jones Act and for maintenance and cure.
A Standard of Law
■ The Jones Act confers upon a seaman the right to sue his employer for negligence resulting in his personal injury.
In ruling on a motion for summary judgment, the Court “must indulge every reasonable inference from those facts in favor of the party opposing the motion.”
When determining , whether a person qualifies as a borrowed employee, courts should consider the following nine factors
(1) Who has control over the employee and the work he is performing, beyond mere suggestion of details or cooperation?
(2) Whose work is being performed?
(3) Was there an agreement, understanding, or meeting of the minds between the original and the borrowing employer?
(4) Did the employee acquiesce in the new work situation?
(5) Did the original employer terminate his relationship with the employee?
(6) Who furnished tools and place for performance?
(7) Was the new employment over a considerable length of time?
(8) Who had the right to discharge the employee?
(9) Who had the obligation to pay the employee?
While the critical factor is control;'no single factor or combination of factors is determinative.
B. Discussion
1. Control
The first factor requires a court to distinguish “between authoritative direction and control, and mere suggestion as to details ,.. where the work furnished is part of a larger undertaking.”
The rigging duties aboard the Silverstar were the responsibility of Longnecker employees exclusively.
As a result, Hornbeck did not have sufficient control over Philip to support a finding of borrowed employee status.
2. Work
Courts look to whether there was a contractual agreement when determining whose work the plaintiff was doing when injured.
3. Agreement
This factor asks whether there was an agreement between the original and borrowing employer.
4. Acquiescence
This factor “focuses on whether the employee was aware of his work conditions and chose to continue working in them.”
5. Termination of Original Employer
“The emphasis when considering this factor should focus on the lending employer’s relationship with the employee while the borrowing occurs.”
6. Tools and Place of Performance
This factor inquires into which party provided the tools and place of perforni-ánce.
7. Length of Time
Where the length of employment is considerable, this factor supports a finding that the employee is a borrowed employee, but the converse is not true.
8. Right to Discharge
According to Hornbeck’s claims manager, Hornbeck “had no right to discharge [Philip] from his direct employment.”
the right to terminate Philip’s work relationship with Hornbeck.
9. Obligation to Pay
The parties do not dispute that Long-necker alone had the obligation to pay Philip.
C. Conclusion
Six factors weigh against a finding of borrowed employee status, one weighs in favor, and two are neutral. The six factors that weigh against a finding include the central factor of control and are sufficient to establish that Philip was not Hornbeck’s borrowed employee as a matter of law.
III. Vessel Negligence and General Maritime Negligence Claims
Hornbeck also moves for summary judgment on Philip’s claims for vessel negligence
The LHWCA generally allows an injured worker to seek damages from third parties who may have caused the injury.
Under the LHWCA, vessel owners owe three duties- to longshoremen: (1) a turnover duty; (2) a duty to exercise reasonable care in the areas of the ship under the active control of the vessel; and (3) a duty to intervene.
To prove negligence ■ imder the general maritime law, á plaintiff must establish' the following: (1) the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty; (2) the duty was breached; (3) the plaintiff sustained injury; And (4) there is a causal connection between th¿ defendant’s conduct and the plaintiffs injury.
The Court finds that there are genuine issues of material fact with respect to whether Hornbeck was negligent under the LHWCA and the general maritime law. For example, there is conflicting evidence in the record regarding the condition of the deck boards aboard the Silverstar, where Philip allegedly tripped.
IY. Jury Demand
Finally, Hornbeck moves to strike Philip’s jury demand.
Jury trials are prohibited for claims that ansé under admiralty law.
For the foregoing reasons;
IT IS ORDERED that Longnecker’s motion for summary judgment
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Hornbeck’s motion for partial summary judgment regarding Philip’s seaman arid borrowed employee status
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Hornbeck’s motion for partial summary judgment regarding Philip’s vessel negligence and general maritime negligence claims
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Hornbeck’s motion, to strike jury demand
. See R. Doc. 1 at ¶ V; R. Do'c. 19 at ¶ III;' R. Doc. 39 at 2. !'
. See R. Doc. 49-15 at 2.
. See R. Doc. 46-1 at 7; R, Doc. 49 at 2.
. 46 U.S.C. § 30104.
. 33 U.S.C. § 905(b).
. See R. Doc, 1; R. Doc. 19.
. R. Doc. 39.
. Id.
. R. Doc. 48.
. R. Doc. 54.
. R. Doc. 46.
. R. Doc. 47.
. R. Doc. 49; R. Doc. 50.
. R. Doc. 56.
. R. Doc. 59.
. R. Doc. 63.
. Id.
. R. Doc. 69.
. R. Doc. 105.
. R. Doc. 106.
. R. Doc. 107.
. R. Doc. 108,
. 46 U.S.C. § 30104.
. See In re Endeavor Marine, Inc., 234 F.3d 287, 290 (5th Cir. 2000); Naquin v. Elevating Boats, L.L.C., 744 F.3d 927, 932 (5th Cir. 2014); St. Romain v. Industrial Fabrication and Repair Service, Inc., 203 F.3d 376, 378 (5th Cir. 2000),
. See Naquin, 744 F.3d 927, 932 (5th Cir. 2014); Roberts v. Cardinal Services, Inc., 266 F.3d 368, 374 (5th Cir. 2001).
. See Buras v. Commercial Testing & Engineering Co., 736 F.2d 307, 309 (5th Cir. 1984).
. See St. Romain, 203 F.3d at 378.
. Chandris, Inc. v. Latsis, 515 U.S, 347, 369, 115 S.Ct. 2172, 132 L.Ed.2d 314 (1995).
. Guidry v. South La. Contractors, Inc., 614 F.2d 447, 455 (5th Cir. 1980).
. Id. See also Ellender v. Kiva Const. & Engineering, Inc., 909 F.2d 803, 805-06 (5th Cir. 1990); Barrios v. Engine & Gas Compressor Services, Inc., 669 F,2d 350, 352 (5th Cir, 1982).
. See Buras, 736 F.2d at 309; Chandris, 515 U.S. at 369, 115 S.Ct. 2172.
. White v. Valley Line Co., 736 F.2d 304, 305 (5th Cir. 1984).
. See Bouvier v. Krenz, 702 F.2d 89, 90 (5th Cir. 1983).
. Chandris, 515 U.S. at 356, 115 S.Ct. 2172 (quoting Johnson v. John F. Beasley Constr. Co., 742 Fid 1054, 1060 (7th Cir. 1984)).
. Id. at 373, 115 S.Ct. 2172 (emphasis in original).
. See id. at 368-69, 115 S.Ct. 2172.
. Id. at 368, 115 S.Ct. 2172 (quoting McDermott Intern., Inc. v. Wilander, 498 U.S. 337, 355, 111 S.Ct. 807, 112 L.Ed.2d 866 (1991)).
. Id.
. See R. Doc. 46-1 at 16; R, Doc. 107 at 5; R. Doc. 39-1.
. Chandris, 515 U.S. at 371, 115 S.Ct, 2172.
. Roberts, 266 F.3d at 375.
. See R. Doc. 107 at 1-2; R. Doc. 108 at 1-2.
. See R. Doc. 39-2 at ¶ 3; R. Doc. 48-4 at ¶ 3; R. Doc. 108 at 3.
. See R. Doc. 39-8; R. Doc. 49-10. In response to Plaintiff's request for production, Longnecker produced the chart reflecting Philip’s work history from 2011 through 2013. R. Doc, 46-4 at ¶ 8. Longnecker attached the chart to its motion for summary judgment. R. Doc. 39-8. Philip also attaches the chart to his responses in opposition to both Longnecker’s and Hornbeck’s motions for summary judgment. See R, Doc 48-10; R. Doc. 49-10. Hornbeck does not dispute the accuracy of the chart. Indeed, Hornbeck cites to the chart in its reply in support of its motion for summary judgment to support its assertion that Philip worked on the Silverstar for “63 days out of the undisputed total of his 277 vessel working days with LPI.’’ See R. Doc. 56 at 8. There is no genuine dispute that Philip spent at least 46 percent of his time on vessels owned by Hornbeck.
. Hornbeck also argues that Philip's time spent at home waiting for a call from Long-necker with his vessel assignment -should be included in the calculation of Philip's time spent working on vessels, See R. Doc. 461 at 20-21. The Court finds this argument unpersuasive.
. See R. Doc. 107 at 11-12; R. Doc. 108 at 2.
; R. Doc. 106 at 3-4; In addition, Philip argues that because he spent more than 30 percent of his time on vessels time-chartered by Eni, those vessels constitute a fleet for purposes of conferring Jones Act seaman status on Philip. See R. Doc. 106 at 7-9. No Fifth Circuit case, however, supports Philip’s argument that vessels time-chartered by the same entity constitute a fleet under the Jones Act.
. Bertrand v. Int. Mooring & Marine, Inc., 700 F.2d 240, 245 (5th Cir. 1983).
. Coats v. Penrod Drilling Corp., 5 F.3d 877, 890 (5th Cin 1993).
. Roberts, 266 F.3d at 378.
. Id. at 377.
. Hufnagel v. Omega Service Industries, Inc., 182 F.3d 340 (5th Cir. 1999).
. Defendants also rely on Willis v. Fugro Chance, Inc., 278 Fed.Appx. 443 (5th Cir, 2008), which is unpublished and- without precedential value. ' ‘
. Id. at 347-48.
. See id. at 348.
. See id. at 347-48..
. Jacobs v. Nat’l Drug Intelligence Ctr., 548 F.3d 375, 378 (5th Cir. 2008).
. Jenkins v. Aries Marine Corp., 554 F.Supp.2d 635, 641 (E.D.La. 2008).
. Parker v. Jackup Boat Service, LLC, 542 F.Supp.2d 481, 491 (E.D.La. 2008).
. Alex v. Wild Well Control, Inc., 2009 WL 1507359, at *5 (E.D.La. May 28, 2009).
. Chandris, 515 U.S. at 373, 115 S.Ct. 2172 (describing the seaman status inquiry as a "fact-intensive question”).
. Roberts, 266 F.3d at 377.
. See id. ("We acknowledge Chandris’s insistence that '[the 30 percent threshold] serves as no more than a guideline established by years of experience, and departure from it will certainly be justified in appropriate cases.’ We recognize as well that if all of Roberts's time aboard Cardinal-owned vessels were to be counted, he would come quite close (27.7 percent) to meeting the 30 percent requirement. Nevertheless, we do not perceive the instant case to be one that justifies an exceptional departure from the 30 percent test.”).
. See id.
. See R. Doc. 106 at 6; R. Doc. 49-10; R. Doc. 107 at 1; R. Doc, 108 at 13 n. 24.
. See Bertrand, 7Ó0 F.2d at 245.
. Id.
. See Chandris, 515 U.S. at 370, 115 S.Ct. 2172 ("The duration of a worker’s connection to a vessel and the nature of the worker’s activities, taken together, determine whether a maritime employee is a seaman
. Becker v. Tidewater, Inc., 335 F.3d 376, 388 (5th Cir. 2003) (quoting Chandris, 515 U.S. at 364, 115 S.Ct. 2172).
. Chandris, 515 U.S. at 370, 1-15 S.Ct. 2172.
. Id. at 371, 115 S.Ct. 2172 (quoting Wilander, 498 U.S. at 356, 111 S.Ct. 807).
. Buras, 736 F.2d at 310-Í1 (internal citations and quotation marks omitted).
. See, e.g., R. Doc. 107 at 6-7; R. Doc. 46-1 at 17-21.
. Chandris, 515 U.S. at 367, 115 S.Ct. 2172.
. Id. at 368, 115 S.Ct. 2172.
. Id. at 370, 115 S.Ct. 2172 (quoting Wallace v. Oceaneering Int’l, 727 R.2d 427, 432 (5th Cir. 1984)) (internal quotation marks omitted).
. Id. at 369-70, 115 S.Ct. 2172 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).
. See id.; Bertrand, 700 F.2d at 246 (‘‘[T]he issue of an injured worker’s status as a seaman should be addressed with reference to the nature and location of his occupation taken as a whole.”); Buras, 736 F.2d at 312 (“[W]e did not in Bertrand reject the ‘totality of the circumstances’ approach to the question of seaman status. Rather, we explicitly reiterated that the substantial work inquiry is dependent on the total circumstances of the claimant’s employment....”); Prinzi v. Key-dril Co., 738 F.2d 707, 711 (5th Cir. 1984) (‘‘[W]e look to the totality of the circumstances of the claimant’s employment to determine seaman status.”).
. Chandris, 515 U.S. at 369,' 115 S.Ct. 2172 (emphasis added).
. See R. Doc. 39-1 at 2; R. Doc. 46-1 at 9; R. Doc. 49 at 1. See Jenkins, 554 F.Supp.2d at 639-41 (concluding rigger was a Jones Act seaman).
. See Plaintiff’s Deposition at 102-04. This is not refuted by Defendants.
. R. Doc. 106 at 2; R. Doc. 108 at 3. Long-necker does not dispute this and indeed provided Philip’s work history chart, which reflects that 100 percent of his time working was spent on vessels. See R. Doc. 39-8.
. Plaintiff’s Deposition at 203-04.
. Plaintiff’s Deposition at 223.
. See R. Doc. 39-8.
. See R. Doc. 39-8; R. Doc. 49-10; R. Doc. 56 at 8 (citing R. Doc. 49-10).
. Plaintiff's Deposition at 131, 213-14.
. Plaintiff's Deposition at 105. See also Plaintiff's Deposition at 215-17. Longnecker does not dispute that Philip completed these tasks on occasion. See R. Doc. 54 at 3.
. Plaintiff's Deposition at 223.
. Plaintiff's Deposition at 214-16.
. R. Doc. 54 at 3.
. See R. Doc. 56 at 2-3.
. Keener v. Transworld Drilling Co., 468 F.2d 729, 731-32 (5th Cir. 1972).
.See St. Romain, 203 F.3d at 378.
. White, 736 F.2d at 305. See also Abshire v. Seacoast Products, Inc., 668 F.2d 832, 835 (5th Cir. 1982) (concluding there was enough evidence of seaman status to go to the jury where plaintiff and defendant presented conflicting evidence regarding plaintiff's work on vessels, rendering it a "close case”).
. Cf. Bouvier, 702 F.2,d at 90-91 (finding that rigger was not a seaman as a matter of law in part because he was a shore-based worker who worked his shift "at the shipyard and then went home” and "never ate or slept on board a vessel and ... never went to sea").
. Bertrand, 700 F.2d at 243, 247.
. See Buras, 736 F.2d at 309 ("Summary judgment is appropriate where the underlying facts are undisputed, and the record reveals no evidence from which reasonable persons might draw conflicting inferences from those facts.” (emphasis added)).
. See Bouvier, 702 F.2d at 90.
. See Buras, 736 F.2d at 309; Chandris, 515 U.S. at 369, 115 S.Ct. 2172.
. R. Doc. 46-1 at 21-28.
. See 46 U.S.C. § 30104.
. See id.
. Baker v. Raymond Intern., Inc., 656 F.2d 173, 178 (5th Cir. 1981).
. See Delahoussaye v. Performance Energy Services, L.L.C., 734 F.3d 389, 393 (5th Cir. 2013); Brown v. Union Oil Co. of Cal., 984 F.2d 674, 677 (5th Cir. 1993).
. Hall v. Diamond M Co., 732 F.2d 1246, 1249-50 (5th Cir. 1984) (emphasis in original) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).
. Id. at 1250. ,
. Brown, 984 F.2d at 676 (citing Ruiz v. Shell Oil Co., 413 F.2d 310 (5th Cir. 1969)); Melancon v. Amoco Prod. Co., 834 F.2d 1238, 1244 (5th Cir. 1988),, reh’g granted on other grounds, 841 F.2d 572 (5th Cir. 1988).
. See Brown, 984 F.2d at 676.
. Ruiz, 413 F.2d at 313 (quoting Standard Oil Co. v. Anderson, 212 U.S. 215, 222, 29 S.Ct. 252, 53 L.Ed. 480 (1909)).
. See Ancelet v. National R.R. Passenger Corp., 913 F.Supp. 968, 971 (E.D.La. 1995) (citing-Lindsey v, Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co., 775 F.2d 1322, 1324 (5th Cir. 1985)).
. See Plaintiffs Deposition at 214-15. Hornbeck does not dispute this. See R. Doc. 56 at 4-5.
. Plaintiff’s Deposition at 88-93.
. Plaintiff’s Deposition at 89. See also R. Doc. 46-2 at ¶ 6.
. R. Doc. 46-10. (Deposition of Kyle Kennedy) at 11.
. Plaintiff's Deposition'at 235. See also R. Doc. 46-2 at ¶ 6.
. R. Doc. 46-7 at ¶ 9; Plaintiff's Deposition at 126. See also R. Doc. 46-9 at 6-7; R. Doc. 46-10 at l'Ó; R. Doc. 46-2 at ¶ 6. Cf Melan-con, 834 F.2d at 1245 (finding that issue of control favored borrowed employee status when plaintiff's employer gave no instructions to plaintiff except to "go to the field and perform the work requested by [borrowed employee]” and that plaintiff took orders "only from [borrowed employee] personnel who told him what work to do and when and where to do it”).
. R. Doc. 49 at 4; Plaintiff’s Deposition at 214-16.
. Plaintiff's Deposition at 222.
. Plaintiff's Deposition at 220. •
. Plaintiff's Deposition at 228.
. Ruiz, 413 F.2d at 313; Ancelet, 913 F.Supp. at 971.
. Compare Butcher v. Superior Offshore Intern. LLC, 754 F.Supp.2d 829, 835-37 (E.D.La. 2010) with Melancon, 834 F.2d at 1245.
. See Ancelet, 913 F.Supp. at 974; Tajonera v. Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, L.L.C., 2014 WL 5113322; at *10 (E.D.La. Oct. 10, 2014); Brown v. Ocean Marine Contractors, Inc., 2008 WL 4868080, at *5 (W.D.La. Nov. 6, 2008).
. See R. Doc. 46-2 at ¶ 3; R. Doc. 49-4 at ¶ 3.
. ( See R. Doc, 46-2 at ¶ 1.
. R. Doc. 46-11. .
. R. Doc. 46-4 at ¶ 4, 5.
. Butcher, 754 F.Supp.2d at 837,
. See id. at 836 (explaining that although the provisions of a master service agreement are not dispositive, “they are persuasive expressions of the parties’ intent”).
. Wood v. Meridian Oil Production Inc., 199 F.3d 437, 437 (5th Cir. 1999) (per curiam).
. See Plaintiff's Deposition at 102-04.
. R. Doc. 39-8.
. See Brown, 984 F,2d at 678 (finding one month of time working, sleeping, and eating in borrowed employee’s field sufficient amount of time for the plaintiff to appreciate his new work conditions).
. Capps v. N.L. Baroid-NL Indus., Inc., 784 F.2d 615, 618 (5th Cir. 1986).
. See R. Doc. 39-5; R. Doc. 46-1 at 25; R. Doc. 49 at 13.
. Plaintiff’s Deposition at 223-25, 230-32; Plaintiff’s Deposition at 197-98. See also R. Doc. 46-1 at 8-13.
. R. Doc. 46-7 at ¶ 9; Plaintiff’s Deposition at 126. See also R. Doc. 46-9 at 6-7; R. Doc. 46-10 at 10.
. See Robertson v. Blanchard Contractors, Inc., 2012 WL 6202988, at *12 (E.D.La. Dec. 12, 2012).
. Butcher, 754 F.Supp.2d at 838.
. R. Doc. 46-10 at 11. Philip fails to provide evidence that raises a genuine issue of material fact with regard to whether Horn-beck supplied Philip’s rigging equipment.
. Plaintiff's Deposition at 84-86. Horn-beck does not dispute this. See R. Doc. 46-1 at 25-26.
. Plaintiff's Deposition at 73, 189; R. Doc. 46-2 at ¶ 6.
. Plaintiff’s Deposition at 101-04. Horn-beck raises no genuine issue of material fact with regard to whether Philip slept and ate aboard the vessels. See, e.g., R. Doc. '56; R. Doc, 108,
. Capps, 784 F.2d at 618.
. See R. Doc. 39-8.
. See, e.g., U.S. Fire Ins. Co. v. Miller, 381 F.3d 385, 390 (5th Cir. 2004) (noting that it is "debatable whether approximately a year and a half is a: [considerable’ length of time”). But see Jackson v. Total E & P USA, Inc,, 341 Fed.Appx. 85, 87 (5th Cir. 2009) (unpublished) (“[T]his work situation continued for eight months, which we believe to be a considerable length of time.”).
. R. Doc. 46-5 at ¶ 11.
. See R. Doc. 49-14; R. Doc. 49 at 13. Philip's only argument that Hornbeck may have had the right to terminate Philip is based on the master service agreement between Longnecker and Hornbeck, which is irrelevant.
. See R. Doc. 46-7 at ¶ 13; R. Doc. 46-4 at ¶ 7; R. Doc. 49 at 14 ("Plaintiff does not dispute that [Longnecker] alone had the obligation to pay Plaintiff.”).
. See Butcher, 754 F.Supp.2d at 839.
. 33 U.S.C. § 905(b).
. R. Doc. 47.
. R. Doc. 47-1 at.7.
. See Chenevert v. Travelers Indem. Co., 746 F.3d 581, 585 (5th Cir. 2014).
. See Levene v. Pintail Enterprises, Inc., 943 F.2d 528, 531 (5th Cir. 1991).
. Ducrepont v. Baton Rouge Marine Enter., Inc., 877 F.2d 393, 395 (5th Cir. 1989). See also Rosetti v. Avondale Shipyards, Inc., 821 F.2d 1083, 1084-85 (5th Cir. 1987) ("[T]o be cognizable under § 905(b), a tort must occur on or in navigable waters ... and there must be the traditional admiralty nexus. [I]n order for a waterborne structure to qualify as a ‘vessel’ under § 905(b), it must be a vessel for purposes of maritime jurisdiction. Such a vessel must be capable of navigation or its special purpose use on or in water.”) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted).
. Kirksey v. Tonghai Maritime, 535 F.3d 388, 391 (5th Cir. 2008).
. Levene, 943 F.2d at 533 (citing Scindia Steam Navigation Co. v. De Los Santos, 451 U.S. 156, 167, 101 S.Ct. 1614, 68 L.Ed.2d 1 (1981)).
. Levene, 943 F.2d at 533.
. See id.; Burchett v. Cargill, Inc., 48 F.3d 173, 179 (5th Cir. 1995). See also Fontenot v, McCall’s Boat Rentals, Inc., 227 Fed.Appx. 397, 403 (5th Cir. 2007) (noting that a vessel owner "may be liable under Scindia’s active control duty if it actively involves itself in cargo operations or fails to protect contractors from hazards in areas under the active control of the vessel” (emphasis in original)).
. Levene, 943 F.2d at.,533 (emphasis in original).
. In re Nassau Bay Water Sports, Inc., 62 F.3d 397 (5th Cir. 1995) (per curiam).
. See McLaurin v. Noble Drilling (US) Inc., 529 F.3d 285, 288 (5th Cir. 2008); Palmer v. Fayard Moving and Transp. Corp., 930 F.2d 437, 438 (5th Cir. 1991).
. McLaurin, 529 F.3d at 288.
. See generally Topalian v. Ehrman, 954 F.2d 1125, 1131 (5th Cir. 1992).
. See, e.g., R. Doc. 50—11 (Deposition of Malcolm Parfait) at 2, 3-4 (noting he did not see anything in the area Philip allegedly fell that "might possibly constituté a trip hazard” or "that were so dámaged that it might be a problem”); R. Doc. 50-7 (Deposition of Roy Bradshaw) at 2-3 (noting the deck boards were missing "chunks of ... wood” and that pieces of board were missing and thus those areas needed to be flagged so the riggers knew "where to look out for”).
. See, e.g., R. Doc. 50-5 (Deposition of Daniel James Rhodes) at 5-6; R. Doc. 50-10 (Deposition of Jordan Stopyra) at 5-6; R. Doc. 50-11 (Deposition of Malcolm Parfait) at 3-4; Plaintiff’s Deposition at 138-40. • R. Doc. 50-7 (Deposition of Roy Bradshaw) at 5-8, 13.
. R. Doc. 63.
. See R. Doc. 63 at 1; R. Doc. 46.
. See R. Doc. 63 at 1, Philip does not dispute the fact that jury trials are prohibited for admiralty claims. See R. Doc. 69.
. See, e.g., Becker v. Tidewater, Inc., 405 F.3d 257, 259 (5th Cir. 2005); Rachal v. Ingram Corp., 795 F.2d 1210, 1216 (5th Cir. 1986).
. See supra Analysis, Part I.
. See 46 U.S.C. § 30104.
. R. Doc. 39.
. ,R. D.oc. 46.
. R. Doc. 47.
. R. Doc. 63.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Elderic John PHILIP v. HORNBECK OFFSHORE SERVICES, L.L.C.
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published